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Surf and Yoga // The Perfect Alchemy

Thursday, July 7, 2016

It is well known that a regular yoga practice will benefit not only our everyday life in general, but also our performance in the water while surfing. I'm not a regular practitioner (yet), but every time I do some yoga poses, I can suddenly feel the good effects on my body. Which translates in a better control on my whole self on a board and in the water in general.

If you still don't know the link between these two practices or want to know more about it, today is your lucky day!
Today Yeni from Salti Hearts is here to tell us more about the relationship between Yoga and Surfing and how you can take the most out of a regular exercise and bring it on your board.

Salti Hearts offers surf and yoga camps for women of all ages in the tropical island of Bali. At Salti Hearts they believe the practice of both surf and yoga creates the foundation for a healthy lifestyle.

Yoga and surfing creates the perfect alchemy. They will both connect you to a natural flow between your body, your mind and nature. The benefits that yoga can have on surfing are pretty far-reaching, whether it's through strength, flexibility, balance or simply just breathing better; all these things are very important to progress in surfing. Learning how to breathe properly might be the biggest benefit surfers get from practicing yoga.

With yoga you will learn how to breathe properly, which will help you reduce stress and can come in handy with big waves or other hairy situations.

For the true surfer or the true yogi there is a connection with each that goes beyond the physical. One could even compare the rhythm of the ocean with the rhythm of the body. Physically yoga is a great way to stay in shape when the surf is flat, prevent injuries, warm up before paddling out and stretch out the body after a long surf session.

At Salti Hearts we believe that Yoga and surfing are one of the most amazing combinations for a happy, balanced and healthy lifestyle, plus it will maintain the connection between mind, body and soul. It brings a whole new perspective on how we see our everyday life: while combining this two very different practices into your daily routine you will feel inspired, revitalize, connected, stronger and fitter... but most importantly happier :)

Yeni Canelon, the founder of Salti Hearts has been a passionate surfer and dedicated yoga practitioner for the past 12 years. After achieving her 200 hrs Yoga teacher training last year in Bali, she has developed yoga classes with a focus on specific sequences that will benefit and improve your surfing skills. At the same time she brings the authentic teachings of yoga on and off the mat: she serves and honors this great tradition, while sharing the gratefulness and the benefits with others, allowing to hold the space and truly believing that yoga will not only change the quality of your life and surfing, but also will completely change who you are.

Surfing is like dancing on the water, it may look easy but it takes a lot of balance and flexibility – two skills that you use in even the most simple yoga practice.

Starting every day with a few minutes of yoga is going to make a huge difference.

A big part of yoga is to develop a sense of freedom and spirituality. Experiencing this often makes your feel more connected to the water while surfing and more appreciative and grateful to the joy of this practice.

Another important characteristic in surfing is to have patience between the sets. You never know how long it’s going to be until the next sets arrives, therefor all you can do is sit, wait and remain focused – just like in yoga.

Your inner world will naturally calm during an unwinding yoga practice on the beach, gazing out at the surf break and this can also be transferred out on the surfboard. Waiting on your board for that perfect wave can sometimes seem to drag on forever. Here is a perfect opportunity to meditate on patience, maybe the beauty of the landscape or the quietude of the ocean. Use the focus that you gain by holding challenging yoga postures, and take it onto your board and into your life.

Yoga and surfing teach us to cultivate internal serenity, and more awareness and appreciation of the natural environment. Often, some of the best waves are found in remote areas, and this too is another chance to use the ethics of yoga in every environment we find ourselves in and always treat the beaches and the ocean with respect.